France to Lead UNIFIL
From the country that brought you the Dreyfus Affair, synagogue arsonists, and a total lack of commitment to prosecute same:
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Friday European nations would provide the backbone of a 15,000-strong United Nations peace force for Lebanon and he had asked France to lead it. Long-awaited clarification over the leadership of the force came after Annan held emergency talks with European foreign ministers to overcome EU members' reluctance to send soldiers on what is seen as a risky mission.
Strictly from a military perspective, we think this is a bad idea. The French have no experience guarding a wall that genocidal Jew haters can't just drive around.
UPDATE: Awww... that's just so precious:
Signor Prodi offered to take the lead in the force and won backing from other Western capitals. Yesterday he said that President Bush had taken a “positive” view of Italy’s offer to lead the force. But Italy’s stance has ruffled feathers in France, the former colonial power that sees itself as the natural leader of the international community in Lebanon. Philippe Douste-Blazy, the French Foreign Minister, said this week that France retained command of the UN force under existing arrangements until February.
You know what, we take back what we said earlier. Without a stronger mandate, UNIFIL's role is to basically to give radical Muslims a chance to rearm and, if necessary, to fight a losing battle with their backs agianst the wall. The French are perfect.
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Friday European nations would provide the backbone of a 15,000-strong United Nations peace force for Lebanon and he had asked France to lead it. Long-awaited clarification over the leadership of the force came after Annan held emergency talks with European foreign ministers to overcome EU members' reluctance to send soldiers on what is seen as a risky mission.
Strictly from a military perspective, we think this is a bad idea. The French have no experience guarding a wall that genocidal Jew haters can't just drive around.
UPDATE: Awww... that's just so precious:
Signor Prodi offered to take the lead in the force and won backing from other Western capitals. Yesterday he said that President Bush had taken a “positive” view of Italy’s offer to lead the force. But Italy’s stance has ruffled feathers in France, the former colonial power that sees itself as the natural leader of the international community in Lebanon. Philippe Douste-Blazy, the French Foreign Minister, said this week that France retained command of the UN force under existing arrangements until February.
You know what, we take back what we said earlier. Without a stronger mandate, UNIFIL's role is to basically to give radical Muslims a chance to rearm and, if necessary, to fight a losing battle with their backs agianst the wall. The French are perfect.
